IPL 2018: Match 6, RR vs DD - Who Said What

The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) got off to a blistering start following a couple of humdingers in the opening week. Meanwhile, two teams in the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Delhi Daredevils (DD) were encountered with comprehensive defeats in their opening games. The teams locked horns at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur.

The game was halted courtesy consistent spells of rain and was on the verge of being called off. However, the rain stopped minutes before the cut-off time and the Daredevils were set a revised target of 71 runs off six overs, which turned out to be a fry cry for the visitors. Meanwhile, the Royals opened their account in the tournament and Delhi find themselves at the bottom of the table.

Delhi started handsomely with a couple of quick wickets of D’Arcy Short and Ben Stokes. Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson resurrected the start and stitched together a useful stand for the Royals. Most importantly, it laid the platform for a blistering finish. Jos Buttler played brilliantly after which rain threatened to play spoilsport.

Rajasthan Royals open their account

The run chase turned out one-sided in favour of the Royals. Gautam Gambhir demoted himself, bearing in mind the requirements of achieving the target. Glenn Maxwell and Colin Munro opened the batting, but the latter perished without facing a ball. Rishabh Pant and Glenn Maxwell took charge and found the boundaries on a consistent basis.

Meanwhile, the required rate mounted alarmingly, which eventually went out of hand for the Daredevils. The Royals’ bowlers were stupendous and expertly held their nerves. Dhawal Kulkarni conceded four runs in his only over, which pushed the visitors on the back-foot. Jaydev Unadkat churned out three successive deliveries to Maxwell which built further pressure.

In the last over, Delhi required a staggering 25 runs which was always going to be an uphill task for the batsmen. Morris spanked a couple of boundaries in the penultimate and final ball of the match, but by then the contest was all over bar the shouting and the Royals won by 10 runs (D/L Method).

Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane said:

“Good way to start at home. We were thinking that 71 will be little difficult in 6 overs. But we focused on things we could control. Our bowlers did a fantastic job. When we were batting we thought 165-170 would have been a good score. First over from Gowtham was very crucial. T20 is all about starting from zero, whether we win or lose. We will enjoy this win and move forward.”

Delhi Daredevils skipper Gautam Gambhir said:

“We were very much in the game. It was a beautiful wicket to bat on, then 150-odd for 5 in 18 overs, we thought we could contain them to 170 and it was chaseable, especially with dew coming in later on. We were very much happy with the first innings. But then in 6 overs, 71 was tough. We had to go from ball one. Obviously, with these sort of games, things could go either way. Just 2 overs of Powerplay, it’s very difficult. If it was a 20-over game, it would’ve been much easier to chase.”

Player of the Match Sanju Samson said:

“Feels really amazing. We wanted a win badly at our home ground and it feels good to get our first win of the season. I think it’s about the preparation, we had about 4 camps before the IPL and an excellent support staff who give us lot of freedom. This is one of the best grounds in India. Credit to the groundstaff for all the work (during the rain delay).”